


Sweat

by Denburrito, Descar



Category: Homestuck, MS Paint Adventures
Genre: Oneshot, Zombie Apocalypse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-05
Updated: 2013-03-05
Packaged: 2017-12-04 09:11:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,073
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/709054
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Denburrito/pseuds/Denburrito, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Descar/pseuds/Descar
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Karkat Vantas is stuck in the apocalypse that killed his friends and family, but then he meets a mysterious woman who's name he doesn't know. They work together, starve together and kill together. Karkat couldn't imagine a life without her, but then everything that he wanted to keep safe will crumble before his very eyes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sweat

**Author's Note:**

> Hello thank you for reading my story, let me touch you were you pee.
> 
> First upload!! :D

  
Everything was silent apart from the ragged breathing and the pair of runners hitting the pavement in quick succession. Sweat poured from everywhere making the small male sticky and hot, the substance seeped into his cuts and scratches making them sting and itch. Karkat Vantas scowled in annoyance, the irritation wanting to make him stop and clean them, but there was no time. Night was coming and he had to get them somewhere safe, and soon. He used his spare hand to grab a handful of his red crab singlet that had little protection from the enemy, to wipe away the sweat from his bright red eyes.  
  
There was a slight tugging on his right hand, he turned slightly to look over at his older female companion. Her black hair was in disarray, much like his own white hair. Her lipstick black lips parted to allow air to flow into her lungs that craved it so. Karkat frowned and he came to a slow stop, allowing her to pull her dark skinned hand away from his own and bend down to let that ribbons of breath fill her lungs.  
  
“May I-” She breathed heavily before she started again “may I advise we stop for a short break?” Her sentence was strained and weak, her chest shook with her uneven breathing, the small albino teen wasn’t much better. He tried to swallow what little saliva he had left to quench the thirst in the back of his throat but had no such luck. So he nodded and crouched down to relieve his aching legs, swinging his light backpack in front of him to retrieve the bottle of water he took large mouthfuls, the one would never be enough he would always want more to fill his body, but he knew that he had to ration the water, he had no idea when they would get more so the little water they had now would have to keep them alive. The small male’s muscles shook and ached with the pain and adrenalin that was rushing through his body. But right now it didn’t matter; he gave a gurgled sound akin to a sigh as water refreshed his mouth.  
  
The tall woman held out her hand for the bottle and he reluctantly handed it over to her with a shaky hand, she smiled at him and accepted the bottle in still hands. He watched her drink that water and idly wondered how she didn’t shake like he did, but he didn’t pry. They had met some months ago, he hadn’t seen another human in years but here she was standing in front of him requesting that she join him, he reluctantly agreed, after all human company was better than what was out there. Since then both of them had not asked any questions about who they were and how they survived. They had mutually decided that their life before the accident was the past and this as ugly as it was, was their new life.  
  
She handed him back the water and he slipped it back into his backpack. They sat there for a short time, just leaning against the graphitised and bloodied wall, there was no calming sound of birds chirping or the oddly comforting sound of the busy city. All that was left was the sounds of the dead; it held no comfort, just pain and the ball of dread that would make its way into your stomach.  
  
Karkat dazed off looking into the distance, just thinking about all the stuff that had happened in his short life. Considering the events in the last 4 years a lot had happened, he was only 13 when it started. But he had decided not to dwell on the past long ago, from now he was only to think of how to stay alive. The lady gave him a shake and motioned for them to get up, nodding he got up then helped her up after him, she gave him another smile and the teen did his best to smile back at her although it looked like he was grimacing at her, she knew and gently gave him a mother like kiss on his cheek.  
  
Their touching moment was ruined by the horrible sound of groaning and shuffling, Karkat whirled around to look over his shoulder at the hoard that was coming from behind them. Stricken with horror he grabbed her hand again and they dashed off down the road dragging her behind him. He had to get them somewhere safe and now, even for a short time. He dragged her behind a corner of an alleyway and spun her around and pushed her against the wall to hide her from view.  
  
“Stay here, don’t fucking move. I’ll distract them and get them away from here. I’ll come back later, just stay here” He growled in a scratchy voice that had gone far too long without being used. She nodded and he looked around the area, he dove for a pile across from them and withdrew a rusty sickle. He gave her once last look before he dashed out of the alleyway and ran down the road. The woman pressed her body against the wall as the dead ran past her and after her companion.  
  
Karkat ran as fast as his aching legs could carry him, He thanked every god under the sun that he had done all the years of sport he had been made to do. He dashed around a few corners then up a ladder to the top of a roof. The dead turned the corner after him and he ducked out of view. There were a few groans and more shuffling, the albino clutched his weapon tight in his blistered hands ready to behead anything that came his way.  
  
But nothing did, the dead shuffled on, some lingered more than others but eventually all of them had left. Karkat let out a breath he hadn’t even known he had been holding, he was ok, he was alive. But then a thought hit him, his lady companion. He gulped and climbed down the ladder, every corner he turned he was ready for a zombie to jump out at him and kill him but none came, it did nothing to quell the dread in this stomach over the health of a woman’s whose name he didn’t even know. As soon as the alleyway that he had left her in came into view he dashed over not caring if a zombie was near to see him, as long as she was safe.  
  
He turned the corner slowly and the dread turned into all out panic when he didn’t see her. He franticly turned around to see if she was nearby, but he saw no sign of her. He dashed out of the alleyway and looked left and right, but still nothing. All that was before him was the wreckage of a civilisation destroyed by science. Something sounded behind him and he dared not turn, was there one behind him? Did it get the nameless woman? The questions whirled around in his head; slowly he turned his head to look over his shoulder.  
  
His female’s companion stood there caked in blood, Karkat didn’t know if it was hers or not. All that he could think of was relief, relief that she was alive. She offered him a weak smile and he dashed to her enveloping her in a hug. He could know no such happiness, when they first meet he could care less for her safety but over time he couldn’t imagine a life without her.  
  
“Thank god you’re ok! “ He cried. She just smiled and wrapped her own log arms around his small shoulders and whispered calming words into his ear. After a few moments he calmed himself and tugged himself away from her warm embrace. Karkat turned his gaze up to the now darkening sky, he frowned and tugged on her shirt “come on we have to get the fuck out of here and to somewhere not crawling with shit eating un-dead assholes”  
  
She put up no argument and together they ran to the streets and didn’t stop. He knew he needed to find somewhere safe where they wouldn’t find them but this city was providing to protection. Then a thought hit him, when he was a kid his friends and him used to play in the docks in the massive metal boat sheds. He knew there was a river running next to the town the two had crossed over it on the large bridge before they came into the town. And the dead were less likely to be hanging around the water.  
  
He looked up to the street signs and any direction that would lead the two to their destination, his female companion didn’t question his choices she simply followed him as he coursed through the streets. The smell of rot and other discussing smells hit Karkat’s unsuspecting nose, He knew that rivers generally smelt gross, but after the contamination, well it was safe to say that it had gotten worse. He gagged at the smell but the beautiful woman didn’t show any signs of noticing the smell, she simply took the lead and led him over to one of the larger sheds.  
  
She yanked the door open and Karkat walked in first holding out his sickle to fend off any zombies that would jump out at them, but even when he tripped over a bucket and swore as loud as he could there was still no movement or sound of the dead residing in the shed. He nodded over to her and she two walked in after him but walked around all the loud metal objects making Karkat grumble at him own clumsiness. She smiled at him before walking past him and looking around at the stuff that littered the shed. There was not much, nothing they could use now or take with them later on, Karkat studied a range of large boat tools before his companion called him over to her. He nodded over to her before he jogged up to her he raised an eyebrow as she stood before a large chunk of metal that had fallen from the ceiling.  
  
“There’s a staircase behind here” She jabbed he thumb over her shoulder “Would be as kind as to help me move it?” Karkat nodded and rushed over to the other side of the metal scrap, together they heaved and huffed until it had started to move over to Karkat’s side but had made an opening on his female’s companion side. She gave a grateful sigh and adjusted her shirt; he gave a short chuckle and shuffled over to her side, she turned to him and gave a little embarrassed smile.  
  
Karkat help her through the gap to the stairs and followed after her but as he pulled his leg through the gap the metal scrap started to move and He only just manage to get his leg in before it rocked but into place, Karkat sighed in relief and his companion sighed as well, wounds would be no go in this day and age, it would slow them down and potentially lead them to his death, even worse the death of her as well. There was no time for such thoughts he brushed of everything and anything to do with the death of the two of them and instead followed the beautiful woman up the stairs.  
  
From behind her Karkat heard her gasp and he poked his head around her to see what such a shock was. He too was surprised at the sight before him, there was a bed and refrigerator and other necessities that a human being might need in the apocalypse. It was obvious from all the blood splatters and hands prints along the wall that a human had been living here but was killed by the state of the dried blood and dust it had been quite awhile ago.  
  
She gave a muffed cry as she entered the room , Karkat looked at her and frowned, something was off about her reaction, they had seen many abandoned homes like this that had a reminiscence of a untimely end but this was the first time she had acted like this, and then he saw why. In the corner of the room was a mauled body that he could only guess belonged to the mother of the baby that lay a few feet from her the blanket that held the body together was obviously once white but now a dark crimson red. As he looked around the room more he saw blatant signs that a family had lived here, he wrapped an arm around her waist and together they sent out quiet cries into the now dark night for the dead family.  
  
After they had secured the area for the night and she had even found a chainsaw for herself as a weapon in case a rouge came by and found them hiding here, Karkat had also found some uncontaminated water and food which he had pocketed right away and the two had calmed down they sat on the bed and ate some of the crackers with dry throats that had been left by the family, they had not spoken a word since the discovery of the family they were silent.  
  
Karkat and his companion had finished their food and made some small talk neither able to sleep in the room that a family had met their doom in, not that it was any different from where they usually slept. Everything was going fine until Karkat heard it. The quiet groan of the un-dead. As quickly as he could he could he covered her mouth with his hand  
  
“Shhhh” he whispered and the groaning got loader, as quietly as he could dashed over to the hole in the floor to look down at the boat shed, Karkat mentally swore, they had left the door open. And now a zombie had found their way into the shed. And if one found where they were hiding then by groaning loader it would attract more, he knew from experience. He ran back over to his female companion and in a hurried and hushed voice whispered “They’re here, we need to get out of here and now”  
She gasped and nodded he then dashed over to the window to see if there was a ladder to the roof or the ground, there was no such luck but then she called him over to the corner of the room pointing up  
  
“I do believe there may be a ladder to the roof from here” She suggested and Karkat could have kissed her. She reached up and pulled it down and a metal ladder came sliding down, he pointed for her to go up and he went to follow her but the sound of more groans and the creaking of metal made him turn around His eyes widened in horror as he saw the dead climbing up through hold in the floor. Karkat gasped and froze, but they just kept on climbing soon one had gained the footing and pulled itself up. Just as it started to rush at him he was pulled up the ladder and it slammed shut behind him.  
  
“What are you doing? Would you like to meet your horrid death here and now?” She demanded Karkat started to shake his head and tears rolled down his face. He had come so close to becoming like one of them. To die, but to never finally rest in the ground. She held him to her chest and held him there, scratches and groans could be heard from below them followed by the disgusting smell of rotten flesh.  
  
“God what are we going to do?” He growled panicked he stood up away from her and gripped his sickle in both hands so hard his knuckles turned white. He started to pace along the roof there wasn’t much up here just a clothes line and a few crates but did his best to stay away from the door that would lead to the dead.  
“Calm down, I’m sure that they will tire of their endeavours to eat us and turn us into one of them” But even then Karkat could hear the subtle waver of uncertainty in her voice, not   
Even his confidant companion thought that they would make it out of his one. Karkat nodded anyway and made his way over to the edge. He gasped and pulled backwards, they were swarmed, he could only guess that the dead had gathered from all over the city to eat their flesh. Who knows how long it was since their last fresh human meal.  
  
“We can’t wait this out we have to get out” He whispered and turned around to look at her “We have to get the fuck out somehow ” But she just shook her head and sat on the floor sitting the chainsaw next to her patting it slightly.  
  
“You know we cannot leave here, if we do we can only increase the chance of death” He nodded and sat down across from her. He knew that their time had to end sooner or later, there was no way that they could survive the apocalypse at all; death would sooner or later grasp them.  
  
It happened all to soon after that, they had sat in silence for a few seconds before Karkat was going to suggest that they make a escape again by using the wire and metal parts from the clothes line to make a hook and use it to get to the other building and make an escape when the door burst open and they poured out onto the roof. His companion darted into action right away grabbing her chainsaw and sawed on in half as soon as it got close enough to Karkat.  
  
“Move!” she commanded and Karkat sprung to his feet and behind her to the edge of the roof. He turned around to yell at her again as to where he was supposed to go when a hand grabbed him from him behind. Startled he shouted and thrashed around, the woman made no move to help him in his struggle, she just kept knocking down the dead that had surrounded them. Finally his captor let him go with a string of swear words. Surprised he turned around only to see a blonde male wearing shades accompanied by another male who wore thick black framed glasses and a blue hoodie. Karkat was shock to say in the least, incoherent words sputtered from his mouth most of it being ‘How, what, when?’ but the other half was still incoherent words, the blonde just smirked at the other male’s behaviour.  
  
“Come on dork, we gunna blow this joint” He chucked smoothly, Karkat flicked his eyes back and forth between the two males, but help was help and they were human and that was more than enough for him, he turned back to the mystery woman ready to tell her the good news when he saw the dead bit down hard on her leg pulling away flesh. She faltered but did not back down. Karkat let out a wail at her expense went to rush to her side but a hard hand clasped around his forearm holding him in place.  
  
“No you don’t, she’s been contaminated we can’t afford another human like yourself to be hurt too” Karkat went to turn and yell at the male who grabbed him arm and held him back, But the blonde held back and it was the guy with the blue hoodie who had worry dripping from every word.  
  
“Let me go!” he struggled but this time the blonde stepped in grasping is other arm and pulling him back. He looked at the woman for a short moment and she turned to look over at them for a short second. Then Karkat felt himself be pulled away, away from the woman who he had shared so much with over the course of the few years they had shared together. But then a thought hit him, something he never knew about her. As the mysterious men pulled him away back towards the ladder door that had been ripped open in the efforts of the dead to get to them, he struggled and turned back to the mysterious woman and shouted out to her with all his might.  
  
“Your name? What’s your name?” She turned to him and mouthed a name that would be burned in his mind forever. Kanaya. Something so simple and exotic, he thought it fit her nicely. The blue boy had jumped down the hole and the other male started to pull him down as well, at the last moment he yanked his arm back and yelled back to her with tears streaming down his face at the view of someone so beautiful and perfect having to meet her end here. “Karkat, My name is Karkat!”  
  
She smiled and nodded mouthing the name to herself, she blew him a kiss and turned back to the endless amounts of zombies he vaguely wondered how many there were as he saw once again grabbed by the arm and thrown down the hold into the arms of another. Then he was being carried to the exit of the shed in the arms of the other. Everything was moving around him but his eyes had become unfocused only thinking of what could happen to her up there.  
  
“You think he’ll be all right?” A soft voice asked close to his ear but Karkat didn’t even flinch, he just laid there in his arms. The was more shuffling and be was put into what he could only guess was a car before the reply to the question was answered “I don’t know Egderp, I can only hope”  
  
More shuffling and then he was next to the glasses male, he only looked up into the saddened and apologetic blue eyes before everything had processed, she was dead, gone, he would never see her again. He started to cry and held onto the other male as tightly as he could in fear of he too disappearing from his life so soon, He didn't put up a fight and hugged him back shooshing him much like ‘She’ used to which only succeeded in making him cry harder. Her name spilled from his lips every time he had taken a breath, it made him wish he had asked for it sooner rather than then. But he couldn't change the past so he settled for whispering it to himself to convince him that she wasn't a figment of him horrid imagination.  
  
They had been in the car for a few good minutes before Karkat had calmed down, the other boy still held him in this arms and Karkat couldn't find the energy to tell him to piss off. So he sat there, looking out the window in the arms of another person. The scene had changed dramatically from the city to the farmlands, He had no idea where they were, he had never ventured outside of the city or the surrounding town. He turned to the four eyed kid demanded to know where they were going.  
  
“Well you see Karkat, we’re going to the totally top secret base where we all live!” the kid smiled revealing buck teeth, he scowled and annoyance and turned to the blonde male in the driver’s seat He smirk and corrected the dorky kid “What Egbert here is trying to say is we’re going home”  
  
“There are more of you?” Karkat asked astounded, He pulled away from the glasses boy and lean forward to look at the cool male through the review mirror, He nodded “yeup, As soon as the disease hit we all pack up our shit and moved out her to the country where ‘they’ are more likely to roam, from there more people joined us and now we got a human civilisation out here.” Karkat nodded and relaxed into his seat, they weren’t the only ones left, there were more like him. Satisfied he closed his eyes “Have a sleep, we won’t be there for a few days”  
  
That was all the conformation Karkat needed before he fell into a deep slumber that consisted of his beautiful Kanaya.


End file.
